The key facts

  • Two French honour guard soldiers fainted outside the Élysée Palace during the welcome of Peter Pellegrini
  • The ceremony was briefly interrupted and assistance was given to those affected
  • The incident occurred on 11 November in Paris

Incident during an official ceremony

Two French servicemen fainted while standing guard outside the Élysée Palace in Paris at the moment when French President Emmanuel Macron was preparing to receive Slovak President Peter Pellegrini. This was reported by Euronews citing a video recording of the ceremony.

What the footage showed

The recording shows one of the guardsmen suddenly falling to the ground shortly before the ceremony began. Macron, who was standing nearby, apparently noticed the incident, and other members of the delegation reacted as well. The soldiers were part of the honour guard formed for Pellegrini's official visit to France. The ceremony was briefly interrupted: those present moved to help the fallen men.

Time and place

The incident took place on 11 November in Paris during the Slovak president's visit to France. The servicemen's health condition and the cause of what happened are not reported in available publications.